Chile stands firm in border disputes with Bolivia, Peru
Chile stood firm in territorial disputes with its neighbors Peru and Bolivia while stressing diplomatic dialogue is vital to solving the issues.

Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear reiterated Thursday that her country stood by the treaties signed five decades ago which established Chile's borders with Peru and Bolivia.

Chile maintains that the maritime demarcation between Chile and Peru was initially established in 1947 and then reaffirmed in 1952 after the two countries, plus Ecuador and Bolivia, held talks on the issue.

"The position of our country is based on international treaties that not only involve Peru and Chile, but also Ecuador, whose position on the issue is clearly known and is the same as Chile's," Alvear said.

On Wednesday, Peru threatened to resort to the International Court of Justice in The Hague should Chile fail to solve the dispute in 60 days through a direct diplomatic approach. Peruvian Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez said the issue is a priority in Peru's foreign policy.

Peru demands a review of the maritime demarcation in the Pacific Ocean concerning an area of 30,000 square km. But Alvear said Chile has not received any official information from Peru on the demand for a border revision.

Relations between Chile and Bolivia have been strained in the past months, after the Bolivia decided to revive the historical demand that Chile return the territories with a sea access it lost in the war, when Chile gained more than 120,000 square km of Bolivian soil and 400 km of its coastline.

During his visit to Chile, Uruguayan presidential candidate anda favorite to win in the October elections, Tabare Vazquez, asked Chile to grant a sea access to Bolivia.
 

Hurricane Ivan claims 20 lives in Caribbean
More than 20 people have been killed and hundreds of houses destroyed by Hurricane Ivan through the Caribbean basin since it began to hit the region Tuesday.

When the hurricane passed near Aruba, two persons were injured, one of them seriously, reports reaching here said.

On the island of the Dutch Antilles, downpour interrupted traffic on streets and forced hundreds of people evacuated.

On Tuesday, the hurricane started lashing Grenada, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, leaving at least 16 dead.

The Grenada airport remains closed. Local telephone service was interrupted and 90 percent of homes was damaged.

Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said the country is a disaster zone and the damage costs millions of US dollars.

In St. George, Grenada's capital, the Emergency Operations Center, the residence of the head of government, the prison, schools and hospitals were destroyed in the disaster.

Ivan also passed near Venezuelan coastline, causing two persons died and 99 people homeless because of the floods on the Paraguana peninsula, while Colombia experienced torrential rains, floods and strong winds along its Caribbean shores, claiming one life.

Although the center of the hurricane passed 240 kilometers away from the Colombian coastline, the authorities still insisted on the restriction of navigation and fishing on the Caribbean coast.

According to forecasts, the destructive Hurricane Ivan became stronger Thursday and continues moving northwestward to Jamaica and then Cuba.

Thousands of Jamaicans have prepared to meet the hurricane beginning from Thursday night. They rushed to shops to store food and emergency supplies, and repair their houses.

The Jamaican government ordered schools and universities closed all over the island and asked people to leave their offices earlier.

In an address to the nation Wednesday night, Jamaican Prime Minister Percival Patterson urged people to take necessary precautions to prevent tragedies.

In Cuba, the Civil Defense authorities put on a hurricane alert in six eastern provinces to face the possible impact of Ivan over the weekend.

Specialists of the Cuban Meteorology Institute have indicated that after a relative calm period between 1973 and 1995, the Caribbean region has been in a new time of high hurricane activity since 1996.
 

Chavez says ready to improve ties with US
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stated readiness this week to visit Washington in order to improve inharmonious relations with the United States, Chavez's communication office said Thursday.

"We're very interested in improving relations with the United States," Chavez said at a meeting with 1,300 businessmen on Tuesday evening.

He said he believes new US ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, will act according to the statements by Washington that recognizes the "Venezuelan reality" and admits the South American nation as a serious country "with a legitimate government."

Chavez pledged to guarantee oil supply to the United States in the coming winter.

Earlier, the White House expressed intention to hold talks with Venezuela on improving economic cooperation and US investment in the country.